Logo critique please...

I'm just designing a little logo for my website/blog thing. I'm an animation student but want a simple clean logo just for the top corner of my webpage and maybe to put onto a business card, my portfolio - that sort of thing.

Anyone who uses Maya will know when applying textures to objects you preview them on a sphere first and play about with all the texture settings - diffuse, colour, gloss and loads of other stuff, so i've tried to incorporate a bit of that into my logo.

What do you guys think?? I'm struggling with the colour. I've included 4 colours i like at the moment. I think i like the plain white one the best, though i think one with colour has a bit more punch to it

As far as the logo goes, I am not a fan of it. I like the spheres, but I personally think they clash with the type. The type is hard and rigid, but the spheres look soft and smooth. I like it other than that. Good start.

You have now explored tying into the tool used. Generally this is not a good idea for a logo since tools change over the years. However, it is a good exercise.

Now explore how you would communicate "fluid" contrasting "edge." This seems to offer some interesting areas for creativity. What does "FluidEdge" mean to you you? With what do you want viewers to associate it? Without words, show it. Somehow I don't think you want viewers to think of billiard balls when they see your logo or hear your company name.

The scale of the sphere to the text is way off. It is immensely overpowering, when it should just compliment the logotype.

Ask any of the corporate identity designers on this board and they will (almost) all tell you to design first in black (solid black), and once that is right, only then to introduce a color. Or two. Gradients and bevel and emboss are no-nos. You CAN communicate the things you wish to without using them.

Remember you are NOT designing a logo rather BRANDING an image for you organisation, you need to know what you are trying to say about your organisation's direction and values. A good logo is timeless and replicates well on a variety of different medias it also serves a purpose.

thanks for all your advice guys, i really appreciate it. That logopond website is fantastic - loads of great inspiration there.

Like i said i'm not looking to launch a global brand here, i'm just messing about and putting a couple of ideas together. I'll keep going and looking at more designs and post up a couple later this week.

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